


The Sea's Child

by Pipermccloud



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Child, Child Abuse, Finland, Hetalia, Just a Mention, Multi, Neglect, Sea, Sweden - Freeform, sealand - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-06
Updated: 2018-10-16
Packaged: 2018-12-24 11:36:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 3,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12011898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pipermccloud/pseuds/Pipermccloud
Summary: Sweden and Finland's marriage had been going downhill, and neither are happy; Sweden thought he could fix the marriage by adopting them a child off of Ebay.





	1. Alone

A month had passed, and Arthur had not returned for him. 

The chilly winds ripped through the rotting walls of the old fort, the iciness making the young boy beneath a tattered blanket shiver, drawing it tightly around him in a fruitless effort to conserve any warmth. He glanced over to the shelf where several sardine cans were stored, and bottles of water. He was running low on rations, as if his frail, thin body didn't show that enough. 

 

Arthur had promised him that he would return for him before the month was up; the lovely warmth that was August had faded into the chill September, and still he had not come back for Peter. The child still had hope he would come back; after all, he was his brother, why wouldn't he? Soon he'd hear the footsteps on the fort, the loud knocking and a professional English voice telling him to hurry up and open the door, like always!

He'd have more food too-Peter would prefer even his scones to the sardines he had to eat for the last four weeks. Thinking of anything other than slimy fish was making his stomach ache and rumble. It hurt but he couldn't stop thinking about all the delicious food they would share, and talk about each other's days apart, and what a twat England's boss was. 

But that could only happen if Arthur returned.


	2. Yao

Peter had awoken to the footsteps outside his door. He bolted up excitedly-England had come back!   
He ran to the door and opened it, throwing his arms around the person in front of him. England felt much thinner than usual, but he didn't mind. He had his big brother back! 

"ENGLAND!" 

"I'm not Arthur." The voice that spoke was slightly higher in pitch, and had a foreign accent which he couldn't quite place.  
The blond froze, looking up carefully at the person he was hugging. It was clearly not a European nation, with beautiful dark brown sparkling eyes and long shiny black hair tied back into a sleek ponytail. He could vaguely remember meeting this man before, from when England had taken him to a meeting to meet the Allies. He remembered this man there, but not his name. 

"Who..who are you?" Sealand quickly dropped his arms from the other's waist, now feeling shame and embarrassment creep up his neck.

"I'm Yao; you may call me China." The stranger smiled gently at the boy. "England sent me here to tell you that he won't be able to visit for a while, and to give you this." China held out a large shopping bag. "Its fresh food and water. He said you might be running low."

"I am!" Sealand nodded, going back inside the room to fix up a seat for his guest. England had always taught him to be a good host to any guests he might receive. "I'm sorry I don't have any tea to offer you." 

China stepped in, crinkling his nose at the stench of rotting wood, seawater, fish and what smelled like weeks-old urine that was coming from a tiny closet that looked as if it functioned as a bathroom. 

"Do you get any other visitors, Sealand?" Yao felt as if he knew the answer already; he was sure that nobody would have left Sealand in this dump if they came by and saw just how wretched it was.

The child shook his head, fluffing a worn pillow and placing it on the damp chair. 

"I used to get Arthur and sometimes Mr. France. Mr. France visited with him a lot." 

China made himself as comfortable as he could on the seat, trying to not visibly cringe as his weight squelched some of the moisture out of it.

"Hm. Nobody else has visited since?"

"Not for ages."

The man went silent at that, looking over Sealand once again. Now that he was getting a good look at him, he could see just how neglected the child was:

The sailor shirt was a dingy gray color that hung on the boy's thin body, the little shorts were just as dirtied, and there he could see numerous bruises on Sealand's legs, some which were yellowed with age, as if they were healing much slower due to malnutrition. Sealand's blond hair looked very oily and dull, and he could see how filthy the child's face was, as if he hadn't taken a bath in weeks. The dirt stood out even more against his pallid, thin face.

It made Yao's stomach twist, thinking of how England could leave the boy all by himself in conditions like this. His mind was made up now. 

"You're coming with me then."

"What?" Bright eyes as blue as the sea looked up at him curiously.

"I said you're coming with me. I can't leave you here."

"But Arthur-"

"Arthur won't be able to see you for a while, but you can't stay here alone." China stood up from the chair, offering his hand to the boy. "I'll get you food and a warm bed."

"I'm not supposed to go with strangers." Sealand shook his head, refusing the hand. "I have to wait here for him. He said so!"

"There is a time and a place to wait for people, but you're going to get very sick out here." China sighed. "And I know Arthur well."

 

"Prove it!"

 

"He walks around in his unicorn underwear early in the morning and likes talking to thin air."

 

"......Okay, you passed the test. Where are we going?"

"My home of course!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me so long to update, I was thinking of how to do it plus school started and I only had time to do this because of a wicked toothache


	3. A Room and a Bath

China stole another glance at the small boy curled up on the seat opposite him, snuggling into the jacket he had draped around him to keep him warm on the ride back to the hotel. Beside of him was a small suitcase with all the child's belongings that were salvageable from the dank, rotting fort, among them was a teddy bear that was kept remarkably clean despite the filthy conditions and a storybook that England had read to him. 

Sealand had been quiet on the ride, having noticed the nation staring at him from time to time and scrunched himself up in a smaller ball. China leant over to gently pet his head, holding back a grimace as he felt how greasy and gritty the dirty blond hair was. First thing first was to give the little guy a proper bath. 

 

The hotel the country had been staying at wasn't an extravagant one, but it was decent. He gave Sealand's hand a reassuring squeeze has he led him back to his room, as Sealand had been hiding behind him once he noticed the receptionist staring at him. It must have been a sight, a starved, grimy child tottering along with a large coat hanging on him.

 

"Stay here while I run you a bath." China directed Sealand over to the second bed as he went inside his room's adjoined bathroom. Sealand placed the coat on top of the sheets and carefully sat, looking around the room.

The walls were an unpleasant beige color, with two beds decorated with a dark green and red floral blanket that smelled of disinfectant. The window was framed by dark red curtains, and in front of the bed was a oak dresser, with a simple TV on top. China had left it on the news station when he left, and right now it was showing a clip of a traffic accident.

"Peter, your bath is ready!"

He slid off the bed and trotted to the bathroom, coat still wrapped tightly around him. The bathroom was a pale pink color, but smelled very pleasant, and felt warm from the steamy bubble bath. Quietly, he slipped off his clothing and slid into the water, sinking up to his nose in the bubbles, resting his head on the edge of the tub. 

"Does it feel alright?" Yao asked him, reaching for the shampoo bottle. 

"Mhm." Sealand gave a small nod, pulling his knees up to his chest, watching the bubbles swirl from the movement. "It feels really nice."

Yao smiled and wrung out a washcloth over the child's head, before lathering in a good dollop of strawberry scented shampoo. Sealand sat up, crinkling his face as he reached up. 

"Hold still." Yao chuckled. "I'm trying to get you clean." 

"But I can wash myself!" Sealand wriggled a little. He felt uncomfortable that someone other than Arthur was giving him a bath; he barely knew the nation, and it was awkward enough he was hovering over him like a mother hen fretting over her chicks. 

China sighed and handed Sealand the washcloth. "I'll just do your hair, okay? It needs a good scrubbing."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After the bath, Sealand was wrapped in a very fluffy towel and sitting on one of the beds, watching China root through his suitcase to find him something to wear. 

"Urgh, this reeks!" He lifted up a dirty gray shirt gingerly, looking over at Peter. "All your clothes are very smelly! You can't wear this." He tossed it into the waste bin before going over to his own suitcase, and pulled out a button-up shirt, tossing it to Sealand. 

"Wear that for now, I'll buy you something your size." He checked his pocket for his wallet before grabbing a clean jacket to wear. "You stay in here, okay?"

Sealand nodded, waiting until he left the room before he put on the shirt. The buttons were made of a glossy wood, and felt very nice and smooth against his fingertips. The fabric itself had a very nice smell, like flowers, and felt very light. 

After buttoning up to the collar, Peter wriggled under the blankets and grabbed the remote, flipping through the channels to find the cartoons.


	4. Clothes and a Call

Yao noticed a big problem the moment he stepped into the clothing store: he had no idea what size clothing Sealand wore. 

It was a ten minute walk back to the hotel, but then again, Sealand wasn't properly dressed. Still, China figured he could wing it considering the boy did look rather small, and anything that didn't fit he'd simply return.

He strode into the childrens' section of the store, selecting a few shirts and pants, and after consideration, grabbed some socks, two pairs of shoes and some underwear before heading to the checkout.

After paying for the items, China decided to drive by a fast food place to pick up something to eat. Normally he'd avoid such food, but Sealand looked as if he hadn't had a decent meal in months, and he wasn't sure what exactly to feed him. He didn't know of any food allergies, so this kind of food was his best bet. 

After paying for the food, he started on the walk back to the hotel, a large shopping bag of clothing on one arm, and carrying a hot paper bag of burger and chips from Wimpy's. After getting back to the room, Yao struggled a little with the bags before finally being able to open the door. 

 

Sealand had been lying on the bed, buried under the blanket and cuddling into the pillow, looking very relaxed and happy. China felt his heart break a little, seeing the look on the boy's face. How long had it been since Sealand had a proper bed to rest on? He looked so peaceful, gently clenching the bedsheet.

Deciding it would be best to let the child rest, China plopped the food on the nightstand and gave Sealand's hair a friendly ruffle before going back into the hall, pulling out his cell phone. He had made up his mind to call England already on this situation, surely he didn't know how bad things had gotten since his absence.

It was a few rings before Arthur picked up.

"'Ello? Yao?"

"Hi! I wanted to let you know that I took Sealand off the fort; he didn't have any food and the place reeked!" 

"You did WHAT NOW?"

China did not expect to hear THAT reaction. Startled, he pulled the phone away from his ear, staring down at it incredulously.

"I took him off the fort. You should see how broken down that place is!"

"You couldn't have just given him his food and went?"

"No! The poor thing looked as if he'd die if I left him there! He's your little brother, you should at least be aware of what's going on over there, let alone leave him in such filthy conditions!"

"He's a part of Fort Roughs, and he should stay there. Its not my fault if he can't keep the place up-to-snuff." 

China felt something boil inside his chest, clenching the phone tightly. 

"He's a CHILD, Arthur. Aren't you glad he's okay now??"

Click. 

 

It was a few minutes before China stared at the phone again. Had England really gotten miffed over the fact that Peter was off that terrible fort? What had all that been about? 

He would have to ask him in person at the next meeting.


	5. Feeding Time

When Yao re-entered the hotel room, he found Peter had already ripped through the bag, most of the food within now devoured, with smeared remnants on the child's face and hands. He ate it as if he hadn't had a decent meal in months-and China realized with a sudden pang of sadness, that Sealand really didn't have much to eat on that desolate fort.

The sadness he felt was soon replaced by a seething, burning ball of anger rising in his chest. How could Arthur have left a child to starve? How could he leave him there, all alone for months? 

He walked over to the other bed and took a seat, crossing one leg over the other and watched as Sealand scarfed down the box of chicken nuggets, not even bothering to open the sauce packet that came with it. 

 

"Aren't you going to eat that?" China pointed to the sauce packet. Sealand picked it up and turned it over in his hand, reading off what type of sauce it was. He peeled back the lid and stuck his finger in the red sauce, before licking it and making a face, sucking his cheeks in.

"It's a little spicy, and....strong. I don't really like it." He dropped it back in the remains of the bag, grabbing the soda to drink and get rid of the taste in his mouth. 

 

China chortled before laying down on the bed, watching Sealand continue his meal.

 

After he had finished his meal, Sealand laid back on the blankets, a content look on his face. He snuggled into the pillow, now feeling a little sleepy after such a good meal.   
China got up from his own bed and walked over, cleaning up the mess the boy had left behind and brushing the crumbs into the trash bin beside of the bed, before pulling up the bottom of the blankets to cover Sealand.

 

"Thank you, Mr. China." The blond murmured sleepily, and the older nation smiled, going back to the second bed.  
He laid there for a while, phone in hand as he thought about what to do next. He would have to go back home in a week, and he couldn't take Peter with him. What was he going to do?  
Getting an idea, China opened his contacts and started to scroll through the names.

Send Sealand to America? Oh no, definitely not, the idiot didn't know how to take care of himself, let alone a child....Canada, he might be able to....Hong Kong was a flat-out no....DEFINITELY not Russia....

Then again, what would he do if anyone he did ask rejected the idea of looking after Sealand? China didn't want to leave him in the hands of someone as incompetent as America, or with Russia, who already had a young teenager in his care, and from what he seen of Latvia, he was outright terrified of the large man. 

 

It seems that he'd have to go through this list very, very carefully.


	6. Decisions

Send Sealand to America? Oh no, definitely not, the idiot didn't know how to take care of himself, let alone a child....Canada, he might be able to....Hong Kong was a flat-out no....DEFINITELY not Russia....

China rubbed his temples as he looked down through his list of contacts, marking off each one he felt was unfit to take care of children. He didn't realize how many incompetent nations there were, once he started thinking about their past interactions with younger nations. Obviously he raised the most, so he was more than qualified, and felt quite certain in judging other nations' parenting skills.

 

England was most certainly off the list, considering he was the one who left Sealand on the fort in the first place.

France was a maybe; Canada seemed to have turned out really well compared to his brother.

Germany? Possible, he was alright with dealing with immature people, and was very orderly. Might be a little rough on the kid, but he'd know not to push him too much.

Clearly he wouldn't go to Austria; he has a TERRIBLE record with looking after children, if the Vargus brothers were anything to go by.

Spain? Well, he was busy at this time of year, very unlikely he'd have time to properly look after Sealand.

Japan? No, he didn't think that Kiku would have the patience.

 

He kept a notepad with all the nations' names, slowly crossing each one out as he went through a process of elimination. A lot of them were taken off the roster due to not being good with children (i.e Russia) or were just too busy to look after one.   
It was frustrating; there was only a handful of nations he could ask now, and if he wasn't able to find a caretaker for the boy, he would have to send him back to that awful, dilapidated hunk of metal. 

Yao looked over to where Sealand lay, the blond now curled up in a tight ball under the blankets, a teeny little lump. He reached over to gently touch him, but drew his hand back the moment the teeny lump tensed up.

"Sorry," he apologized, returning to his previous position. He looked back at his screen, then made a new more notes regarding the few he had left on the list. There, he should be able to make a solid decision in the morning.

He kicked off his Oxfords and reached up to turn off the lamp, before rolling over on his side to sleep.


	7. A/N

{I'm not sure if its worth updating this story if nobody comments on it. I mean I'll still update it but at a much less frequent pace, since, you know, lack of motivation and lack of fans who will strive me to keep this on a consistent schedule.}


	8. Bedtime Musing

China had heard something rustling, and then felt his bed creak under someone's weight.   
He opened his eyes, squinting to see in the darkness, illuminated only by the lights of the passing cars from the window.  
A shadow of a small child's head could be seen, and he felt his heart leap into his throat and his balls retract into his body-until he remembered that he had Sealand with him. 

 

"P-Peter?" China croaked, his throat was extremely dry, partially from not having anything to drink, partly from being scared out of his skin. The shadowy figure gave a nod, and laid down beside of him, a small hand reaching out and taking ahold of his forearm, snuggling close to him; he was tense, as if he had a bad dream, and was still getting over it.

He slowly moved his other hand, gently petting Sealand's soft hair, and the boy wriggled a little, snuggling closer to him, all but pressing into his chest cavity. The man had to admit, it was adorable, but he felt a hollow feeling in his stomach all the same. How long had Sealand gone without human contact? He was clinging to him tighter than a tick in a dog's ear, as if he was scared China would up and leave in the middle of night. 

Something he was sure England had done.

 

A horrible feeling started to weigh down on him when he realized that he too, would be leaving Sealand-in the care of another nation, of course, he wasn't as irresponsible to leave a child on their own- but Sealand didn't know that. He had just gotten the boy to warm up to him, and he wasn't sure how to break the news that he wasn't able to stay with him; he wouldn't just be upset, he'd be downright heartbroken.

China figured that, if no nation was available, he'd simply stow Sealand in his suitcase and take a private flight back home, bribing the people doing inspections, or threaten them, whichever he feels will work best, and try and raise Sealand without his boss finding out about him. Difficult, sure, but he would rather do that than to leave the boy alone again.

Sealand's grip relaxed on his arm, indicating that he had fallen asleep. Yao gives him a sad smile, before reaching to pull the thick blankets up over them, keeping an arm around him to assure him he wouldn't leave just yet. 

 

"Rest well, Peter."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not updating, I graduated so hooray!


End file.
